Disclaimer: This post is not meant to diminish or discredit other norms and practices in other countries around the world. Rather, this post serves as an inclusive reminder that women in countries around the world, that disprove of the gender norms enforced in their countries, are still fighting for the same legal and social freedom as the same kind women in the U.S have. While we as American women have yet to achieve full social equality, we must also remember to stand up for the voices that are silenced such as the ones Boniadi discusses in her article.

With the recent #MeToo movement, a lot of women in America, especially in the entertainment and sports industry have come forward with their stories of sexual assault and sexual violence.

However, how does this movement also address women’s rights in other parts of the world, such as Iran, where women’s rights are still something to be granted in ways similar to the ones in the U.S.?

Nazanin Boniadi, an actress on Starz’ Counterpart and a board member at the Center for Human Rights in Iran, wrote an article on CNN addressing the fact that women in Iran are still protesting for their rights but at immense risks of their own lives.

Boniadi discusses the story of Vida Movahedi, a 31-year old mother in Iran, who on December 27, 2017, protested peacefully on the side of a Tehran sidewalk. Movahedi went missing shortly after and claims are that she was arrested.

While I acknowledge the bravery the women in the U.S. have demonstrated in the #MeToo movement, we cannot forget that we must also march for women whose voices are silenced in other parts of the world.

Jackie Bueno is a senior at UC Berkeley studying Sociology. For further inquiries or if you would like to be featured, please contact her at jacquelinebueno@berkeley.edu.

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